Means for lubricating conveyers



Oct. 31, 193". F. J. WEST ET AL MEANS FOR LUBRICATING CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 8, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 31, 1933. F. J. WEST ET AL MEANS FOR LUBRICATING CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 8, 1952 4 heets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

Get. 31, 1933.

F. J. WEST ET AL MEANS FOR LUBRIGATING CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 8, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 6 lHll Oct. 31, 1933. J w s ET AL 1,933,464

MEANS FOR LUBRICATING CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 8, 1932 4 eets-sheet 4 iii 5 I N Tom.-

2 and for receiving a fresh supply from asuitable,

"UNITED-STA Patented @ct. 31; 1 933 MEANS ro tLUBRIonrINGooNvEYERs Frederick Joseph 'West and Ernest West; Manchester, England, assignors to W'ests Gas Improvement Company Limited, Manchester; f England, a British company -p Application September 8, 1932, [Serial No.

632,222, and in Great Britain October 28 This invention relates to the lubrication of the runner Wheels and chain links of conveyers, and particularly to lubricating means of the grease gun type brought into operation automatically 'upon nipples on the runner-wheel axles asthe conveyer travels during its. ordinary service.

- The object of our present invention is to provide improved automatic lubricating means ofthe a durable and efiicient in action. I

The invention comprises a rotary element (for said type, the improved means beinggsimple,

. each line .of runner wheels) carrying agrease when not required.

gun or guns radiating'therefromand turned by a sprocket wheel rotated by engaging the runner Wheels so as to bring the greasegun or guns intooperative connection with radial nipples which lubricate therunner axles and adjacent parts, the turning of the rotary element causing in conjunction withthe nipples, the necessary strokes of the grease gun or guns for delive ring lubricant source upon thecomplete lubricating outfit.

The invention furthercomprises the arrangement of the two rotary. elements. With their sprocket Wheels and grease guns upon the ends of a hollow shaft supplied with lubricant from-an overhead tank or container, there being supporting bearings at the opposite sides of each rotary element.

The invention further comprises the provision a of means allowing for a limited amount of relative rotary movements between the rotary elements and their associated sprocket wheels against spring pressure, .to permit the grease guns to remain upon'the nipples and under the control of the latter as to position, until lubrication is completed. i

Referring to the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one convenient. application of our invention.

Figure-2 is a sectional view drawn to. an enlarged scale, of the grease gun. l

Figure 3 is a detail sectional end viewof the means for locking the grease gun out of action Lubricant is supplied from an overhead tank a to athollow shaft 1) which at its oppositeends is connected to two hollow rotary members or drums c from which any desirednumber of grease guns can radiate, 'A sprocket wheel d is carried byeach drum as shown in Figure 6, the said wheel :1

being held in place upon the drum by a detachable; end cover c of the drum. There are ball or roller bearings e upon trunnion-likeextensions of each drum, such bearings supporting the complete-cub fit within brackets ,f secured to short girders or rails g above the conveyers. a I v Thedrawing connection between each sprock et wheel d and the drumb from which the guns radiate is by means of the adjustable bracket is upon the sprocket wheel which is held in contact with the arm 7' upon the cover piece a by the spring 11. By means 'of the adjustable bracket k, the guns w may be set to register accurately withthelubricating nipples p on the chain.

As a' gun w. engages with a lubricating nipple p, the gun under the control of the nipple revolves' relatively quicker than thesprocketwheel up to the dead centre of the guns's'trokefthus w "'movingithe arm 7' away from the bracket'lc and compressing the spring in which is set to the correctloading by the bolt i. As the'gun passesthe dead centre positionrthe gap between 7. andlc closes, the spring h ensuring that and Ic are held together when for the next engagement of thegun w by a nipple p.

Each runner wheel m (see Figures i andfS) is mounted freely upon a bush n uponthe projecting endsof which at each side of the runnerwheel, are chainlinks o. Preferably such projecting ends are'square and thalinks have square holes therein. The chain link 0 at the other sides of the runner wheel has the grease'nipple p secured therein. a v

The lubricant is delivered throughthe nipple p;

and holes q, r in the link 0 and bush n to an axial groove in the runner wheel axle sand so through a further hole t in the bush to the runner wheel v bearing surface. The axle s has the other chains 1 links it pinned thereto. The buckets c are carried by the axles in the usual way.

. In the drawings one grease gun w is mounted upon each drum 0. It has the usual spring loaded delivery valve :0 therein,'and telescopes within the outer fixed casing y, being forced into its outermost position by the spring a. A spring loaded plunger type catch 2 can be used (by passing it beneath a shoulder 3 on the internal telescoping part of the grease gun w) to prevent the latter being forced into its outermost position by the spring 2 where it can engage the nipples p/ A cross pin l on the catch 2 serves in conjunction with grooves 5 and 6 in the fitting 7 to hold the catch in its operative and out-oi-service positions respectively. 1 Each drum 0 is fitted with a venting plug 8 which is removed whilst the drum is being filled initially so as to prevent any air remaining in Y the drum.

With our improvement, as the conveyer chain movesQtherunner wheels engage and turn the two sprocket wheels 01 of the lubricating machine. These turn the drums c and cause the guns in to engage the radial nipples p on the chain links 0 which are keyed to thebushes n within the runner wheels. When once the guns have engaged the nipples, contact is maintained until the greasing operation is completed, the drums with the guns thereon being allowed to adjust themselvesrelatively tothe sprocket wheels as before described to ensure this continuous contact. It will be understood that the normal extension of the grease guns due to the springs 2 is such that whenthey engage the nipples p,

the movement of the chain results in the nipples forcing the grease guns inwards when the piston end 9 of each gun forces the grease through the valve In and out of the nipple w. Grease enters the cylinder 10 above'the piston 9 by way'of the ports ,12 when'the grease gun is in its extended position.

The drums may each have several grease guns thereon and be arranged to lubricate for example each alternate axle so that an odd number of axles is necessary to-en sure lubrication of all axles during two circuits of the conveyer.

The lubricant supplied to the runner wheels will beforced between the bushes n and wheels m and the bushes 0 and a so prolonging their life. We may vary the details of construction of our lubricating machine to'jsuitany particular requirements.

What we claim is:

1. Means, for, lubricating conveyors comprise ,ing in combination a rotary element fo rjeach line ofconveyer runner.wheels which arev provided with lubricating nipples, a grease gun carried radially by said rotary elem nt, and a sproclnat wheel rotated by and in constant ineshiwith said runner wheels to turn said rotary element and bring said grease; gun into operative connection with said lubricating nipples, the turning of said rotary elementcausing in'conjunction with the nipplesthe necessary strokes of the grease gun for delivering lubricant to the nipples.

2. Means for lubricatingconveyers comprising in combination arotary element for each line of conveyer runner wheels which are provided with lubricating nipples, a grease gun carried radially by said'rotary element, a sprocket wheel rotated by and in constant mesh with said runner wheels to turn said rotary element and bring said grease gun into operative connection with.

said lubricating nipples, and means allowing a limited amount of relative rotary movement between said rotary element and said sprocket wheel to permit said. grease gun'to remain upon the nipple and under control of the latter as to position until lubrication is completed, the turnof said rotary element causing in conjunction with the .nipples the necessary strokes of the grease gun for delivering lubricant to the nipples.

3. Means for lubricating conveyers comprising in combination a rotary hollow drum for each line of conveyer runner wheels, which are provided with lubricatingnipples, means supplying lubricant to said drum, a sprocket wheel mounted upon said rotary hollow drum and adapted to gear with said runner wheels, a driving connectionbetween said sprocket wheel and said rotary hollow drum permitting of an amount of relative circular movement there between, and agrease gun radiating from said rotary hollow drurn and adapted to engage said nipples and to be forced inwards during the turning of the drum and the traverse of the conveyer.

'4. Meansfor lubricating conveyors comprising in combination a rotary drum for each line of conveyer runner wheels which are provided with lubricating nipples, a source of lubricant supply, a hollow shaft connected to said source of lubricant supply and upon which said rotary drum is mounted, a grease gun carried radially by said rotary drum, and a sprocket wheel rotated by and in constant mesh 'withsaid runner wheels to turn a said rotary drum and bring'said grease gun into operative connection with said lubricating nipples, the turning of said rotary drum causing in conjunction. with the nipples the necessary strokes of the grease gun for delivering lubricant to the nipples.

5. Means for lubricating conveyors comprising in combination a pair of rotary drums one for each line or conveyer runner wheels which are provided with lubricating nipples, an overhead lubricant container, a hollow shaft connected to said lubricant container and upon the ends of which said rotary drums are mounted, supporting bearings at the opposite sides of each of said rotary drums, a grease gun carried radially by said I rotary drums, and a sprocket wheel rotated by and in constant mesh with said runner wheels to turn said rotary drumsand bring said grease gun into operative connection with'said lubricat ing nipples, the turning of said rotary drums its 

